Community > Faith In Action
Cherokee Park United Church is rooted in the rich theological soil of the Presbyterian Church and the United Church of Christ, both of which believe we are called to be participants in bringing about God's vision for a healthy, just, and compassionate world. At Cherokee Park United participation in this justice making takes a variety of forms.
In 1989 Cherokee Park United Church began an after school tutorial program for children attending public elementary schools on St. Paul's West Side. The program, which annually serves approximately 26 - 28 children, has developed a strong reputation in both the community and beyond. During the summer Building Blocks hosts a week-long learning enrichment camp for children at Torre de San Miguel, an affordable housing community, on St. Paul's West Side. More...
Cherokee Park United partners with Holy Trinity Lutheran church to provide hot meals six times a year at St. Matthew's Catholic Church on St. Paul's West Side. Loaves and Fishes, who have a number of similar sites throughout the metropolitan area, run this meals program. On a given evening Cherokee and Holy Trinity serve anywhere from 125 - 175 people, including many families with children. The congregations purchase, prepare, serve, and clean up for the meals.
Each year Cherokee Park's Justice and Witness Committee organizes a day in which people from the congregation work on a Habitat for Humanity house in the Twin City area. Habitat for Humanity works with persons of moderate to low income to build homes that are affordable.
The second Sunday of the month is the Sunday designated by Cherokee Park United to receive food donations for the local food shelf operated at Neighborhood House. Each month Cherokee brings a donation of both food and cash to this food shelf, serving our West Side neighbors.
Cherokee Park annually participates in the Walk for the Hungry event organized by the St. Paul Area Council of Churches each fall. Money raised by this fundraiser goes to support local food shelves as well as national and world hunger relief through Church World Services, a ministry of the National Council of Churches.
The purpose of our Antiracism Team is to provide leadership for Cherokee Park United Church in the transformational work of becoming an antiracist, multicultural community of faith. This ministry incorporates the on-going work of the church and its mission with the wider community. The Team works to build the process of becoming an antiracist, multiracial church on sound scriptural and sociological grounds.
In 2007 and 2008, Cherokee Park United Church is regularly hosting 12-week Antiracism Study Dialogue Circles (ASDIC).
The Justice and Witness Committee provides education to the congregation and encourages advocacy with legislators around issues of hunger, environmental issues, and housing. In March, the Committee encourages letter writing to State legislators who are in session at that time
Each Spring the congregation participates in an offering for the Presbyterian Church and United Church of Christ called One Great Hour of Sharing. The offering raises money for emergency relief for people around the world.
Cherokee Park United Church extends a welcome to anyone who is looking for a faith community where they might experience a sense of belonging. The Outreach Committee of Cherokee Park provides leadership for communicating this message both in word and in service. The Committee has found a variety of ways to make this welcome known.
Ever since Concord Street merchants began organizing Cinco de Mayo festivities, Cherokee Park United Church has been a participant in the annual Cinco de Mayo Parade. Cherokee's presence in the parade includes a float which both highlights Building Blocks Tutorial and celebrates Cinco de Mayo.
As part of its service to its neighbors the Outreach Committee annually organizes a seminar intended to meet the needs of folks in the community. Seminars have included topics such as supporting ageing parents, healthy decision making, conflict and anger management, and issues of shame.
The purpose of the Peace Camp is to nurture values and teach skills that enable children to be peacemakers in their families, schools, and neighborhoods. These values include seeing everyone as a child of God (with no exceptions), appreciating differences, and recognizing our need for safe, supportive communities. Skills include knowing how to deal with bullies in positive ways, recognizing how we feel and knowing what to do with strong feelings, and dealing, positively with conflict in a broad multicultural setting.
Peace Camp is done in collaboration with a neighborhood consortium called All Around The Neighborhood (AATN). The camp is developed and hosted by members of Cherokee Park United Church, but integrated into a broader array of summer learning opportunities for neighborhood children and their families (AATN).
For the past two summers, Cherokee Park United Church has hosted the West Side Youth Farm program by inviting them to use our kitchen and fellowship hall to prepare meals and teach youth about various aspects of food and its preparation. The mission of the West Side Youth Farm is to nurture relationships between urban youth and their families, their communities and the earth around them by growing, cooking, eating and selling healthy foods. Within their three main focus areas of urban agriculture, youth organizing and cultural nutrition, their goals are:
- To increase youth competencies and qualities needed to be successful in life.
- To help youth develop public skills through community building projects.
- To set youth on the road to life long health using local, traditional and cultural food.
- To provide high quality, culturally appropriate foods to people in low income communities.
The Outreach Committee annually hosts one or two coffee houses in which neighbors are invited to a free evening of bluegrass or folk music, while enjoying a cup of great coffee and a treat.
In 2007, Cherokee Park United Church organized and hosted a Community Art Show entitled Weaving the Web of Community. The three-week event included two days of open house for viewing art by community artists, a day of art creation for children and families and an evening of music by community musicians. We hope this will become an annual event.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to call me at 651-227-4275 or Email me.
I hope this additional information contributes to making your first visit to Cherokee Park United a very positive experience.
Blessings,
Timothy M. Johnson, Pastor